The Yeomen of the Guard by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

No. 11: SONG (Phœbe)

"Were I Thy Bride"

MIDI File [20KB, 1' 49"]

Orchetral Version
MIDI File [32KB, 2' 10 "] Sequenced by George Pollen

Phœbe.

Were I thy bride,
Then all the world beside
Were not too wide
To hold my wealth of love —
Were I thy bride!

Upon thy breast
My loving head would rest,
As on her nest
The tender turtle dove —
Were I thy bride!

This heart of mine
Would be one heart with thine,
And in that shrine
Our happiness would dwell —
Were I thy bride!

And all day long
Our lives should be a song:
No grief, no wrong
Should make my heart rebel —
Were I thy bride!

W. H. Denny & Jessie Bond in the
Original Production

The silvery flute,
The melancholy lute,
Were nightowl's hoot
To my low whispered coo —
Were I thy bride!

The skylark's trill
Were but discordance shrill
To the soft thrill
Of wooing as I'd woo —
Were I thy bride!

Meryll re-enters; gives keys to Phœbe, who replaces them at Wilfred's girdle, unnoticed by him. Exit Meryll.

The rose's sigh
Were as a carrion's cry
To lullaby
Such as I'd sing to thee,
Were I thy bride!

A feather's press
Were leaden heaviness
To my caress.
But then, of course, you see,
I'm not thy bride!

Exit Phœbe.

Page Created 13 January, 2006